Kinds of SAP Tables

What is transparent table?
Transparent Table : Exists with the same structure both in dictionary as well as in database exactly with the same data and fields.


What is a cluster table? Where and when we use these tables?
Pooled Table : Pooled tables are logical tables that must be assigned to a table pool when they are defined. Pooled tables are used to store control data. Several pooled tables can be combined in a table pool. The data of these pooled tables are then sorted in a common table in the database.


What is a pool table? Where and when we use these tables?
Cluster Table : Cluster tables are logical tables that must be assigned to a table cluster when they are defined. Cluster tables can be used to store control data. They can also be used to store temporary data or texts, such as documentation.



What is the major difference between Standard tables, Pooled tables and Clustered Tables?

A transparent table is a table that stores data directly. You can read these tables directly on the database from outside SAP with for instance an SQL statement.

Transparent table is a one to one relation table i.e. when you create one transparent table then exactly same table will create in data base and if is basically used to store transaction data.

A clustered and a pooled table cannot be read from outside SAP because certain data are clustered and pooled in one field.

One of the possible reasons is for instance that their content can be variable in length and build up. Database manipulations in ABAP are limited as well.

But pool and cluster table is a many to one relationship table. This means many pool table store in a database table which is know as table pool.

All the pool table stored table in table pool does not need to have any foreign key relationship but in the case of cluster table it is must. And pool and cluster table is basically use to store application data.

Table pool can contain 10 to 1000 small pool table which has 10 to 100 records. But cluster table can contain very big but few (1 to 10) cluster table.

For pool and cluster table you can create secondary index and you can use select distinct, group for pool and cluster table. You can use native SQL statement for pool and cluster table.

A structure is a table without data. It is only filled by program logic at the moment it is needed starting from tables.

A view is a way of looking at the contents of tables. It only contains the combination of the tables at the basis and the way the data needs to be represented. You actually call directly upon the underlying tables.

How many tables we will come across in ABAP?
Ans : 3 types : Pooled , clustered, Transparent

How many kinds of internal table are there?
Ans: 5 Types.
Standard Table,
Sorted Table,
Index Table,
Hashed Table,
Any Table ( Generic type , Rarely used )